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The Los Angeles Police Department has opened an investigation into allegations that officers used excessive force while arresting Pelicans big man Jaxson Hayes, LAPD chief Michel Moore said in a Tuesday press conference.
ayes was arrested last week on suspicions of resisting arrest. The police found the 21-year-old outside his girlfriend’s home while responding to a domestic disturbance call. Officers said that Hayes repeatedly tried to enter, allegedly shoving an officer against a wall while he tried to restrain him.
In a video obtained by TMZ, Hayes — who was the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft — was being restrained by numerous officers and was tased in the chest during the arrest.
In the video, the man filming the arrest can be heard telling officers, “Stop. Get your hands off him now. I’ve seen him choking.”
Eventually, more officers arrived and the man was prevented from continuing to film. The police body cam footage has not yet been released to the public.